When gadgets go wrong

Nothing hits obsolescence faster in a car than inbuilt satnav, but there is
some good news: they seem pretty reliable (BMW iDrive issues
notwithstanding) and can be updated.

The very early ones from 1998-99, however, really are obsolete, but discs for
the widely used DX CD-based system are reissued every year and can be bought
generically.

With the newer DVD-based satnavs from 2004, manufacturers found a way to lock
you in, with Mercedes charging a whopping £225 for the latest disc.

A specialist such as www.comandonline.co.uk can save you a bit, but its boss,
Richard Almeida, reckons the current hard-disc systems from 2009 will leave
owners at the mercy of makers. “I can see them updating over the internet
and then they can charge what they like,” he says